It has been previously proposed capsule systems comprising an identification code for setting parameters in a beverage production machine. For example, capsules or cartridges containing coffee, milk, chocolate, tea or combinations of these ingredients are used in specifically designed machines in which water is fed under pressure in the capsule which interacts with the ingredients for preparing a beverage. Such machines may operate at different pressures.
WO 02/28241 describes a cartridge for the preparation of hot or cold beverages wherein the packet includes a machine interpretable feature which may be interpreted to direct the beverage producing device to employ specific brewing operation suitable for the particular brewing packet.
WO 02/074144 describes a beverage brewing system comprising a beverage brewing device recognition system allowing the beverage brewing system to recognize the presence, type and/or capabilities of the beverage brewing device inserted in the system.
In WO 02/078498, a machine-readable identifier on a portion package, which contains ground coffee, for espresso machines is provided in a rotationally symmetrical manner, whereby permitting it to be easily and reliably read, on essentially a flat surface of the portion package. The portion package is preferably a portion of the capsule with an essentially round bottom to which the identifier is coaxially applied. A problem lies in that reading of the code requires the capsule to be read over a large path of movement which forces the capsule to be moved for carrying out the reading. Furthermore, the surface onto which the code is printed is not typically flat but rather convex due to the pressure of internal gas in the capsule. As a result, the code can be distorted and its reading negatively affected. Finally, the code contains a too limited number of information thereby making this solution not very attractive.
In order to solve the problems of code printed on flexible surfaces, such as in WO 02/078498, attempts have been made to flatten the surface by mechanical elements of the device such as in EP 1593329. However, such a method may cause the rupture of the capsule and will cause mechanical frictions in the device which are not desirable or even accidental tearing of the package.
EP 1440640 describes a method of preparing at least one range of beverages comprising different steps including the insertion of at least one beverage cartridge, operating a user interface to initiate an operating cycle, creating a specific brewing cycle based on a traditional barcode, passing aqueous medium through the beverage cartridge to produce a beverage wherein the temperature, pre-wet, volume flow rate and air purge of the aqueous medium is set based on the code, providing eductor means in certain cartridge to provide foaming of the beverage.
Solutions have also consisted in replacing the optical code by a radio-frequency code such as in EP 1715778. However, this technology remains expensive for disposable containers such as beverage capsules.
WO 2009007292 describes a method of a reading device in a drinks preparation apparatus for recording an image of a one-dimensional or multidimensional pattern on a drinks or service disc which is inserted into an open brewing chamber of the apparatus and, before the start of the preparation or service operation, is changed from a loading position to a closure position via intermediate positions in a closing operation of the brewing chamber. It is developed by virtue of the fact that the reading apparatus is activated before the brewing chamber is closed, with the result that at least one image of the pattern is recorded before the closure position is reached. The problem here comes from the complexity of the image processing, in particular, the comparison of several images which is necessary.
In general, the systems of the prior art suffer the problem of a reliable reading of the identification code of the capsule. Attempts have been made to improve the identification but most of the solutions are complicated to implement and/or provide other problems.
Generally, the capsule must be oriented or inserted in the beverage device in a precise manner to ensure the correct reading of an optical barcode in the machine. For example, in EP 1440640, the capsule must be placed in a single precise orientation in the capsule holder to allow reading by capsule recognition means (see FIG. 40). Therefore, there are clear limitations to the possible automation of the beverage producing device, in particular, if several capsules needs to be read sequentially in the device. Furthermore, capsule systems of the prior art suffer the problem of limited storage size of the code which largely reduces the scope of the communication between the capsule and the device or user.